[Ron Wood]

George and Albertâ??s comments are fundamentally correct from the standpoint of actual functionality in use. The origins of the Pickelhaube however were strictly ornamental, an element of military regalia. The Pickelhaube was the brainchild of Friedrick Wilhelm IV, King of Prussia and first Kaiser of the Second Reich. The first model was designed by the army at his direction in 1842 and was a high peaked unwieldy helmet that was difficult to keep on your head, and if worn other than tilted on the back of your head it obscured your visionâ?¦definitely not a combat design.

The actual origins of the spike design are somewhat apocryphal. Supposedly Friedrick was visiting his cousin Czar Nicolas I of Russia and spotted a prototype helmet that was being modeled after the earlier Persian spiked helmets. The Persian helmets had a short steel spike and were both functional and lethal. The idea intrigued Friedrick so when he got back to Prussia he created a design of his own that had no practical use but darned if it didnâ??t look great in parades!

George is correct that the Prussian spiked helmet influenced the headgear of several countries. One he left out is the U.S., as the 1872 U.S. Army dress helmet sported a spike and, like the Prussian counterpart, even had a trichter with hair plume for parades. It was made of pressed felt and was strictly a dress uniform item.